Top 20 Things I Learned: Day in the Life of a Nurse

Top 20 Things I Learned: Day in the Life of a Nurse

As explained at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, nurses are indispensable when it comes to protecting public health and giving care to people who are sick or injured. They strive to achieve the best possible quality care for individuals, families, and communities, regardless of disease or disability. This article will look to list 20 things we learned when it comes to a day in the life of a nurse.

There is no typical day for a nurse

First of all, it is important to note that there is no typical day for a nurse. As per RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, every single day has the potential to be momentous, exhilarating, exhausting, energizing, or all of the above.

Early days

A nurse’s day often begins before the sun is up, which means you should be prepared for early mornings in this field. Many nurses are out of bed, showered, and eating breakfast before other professionals are even out of bed.

Relieving the night shift

According to RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, most day shift nurses will begin by conferring with their colleagues on the night shift. The night shift staff will update them on any change in patient status since the last day shift, admissions, or other matters they should be aware of.

Getting caught up on patients

Other than getting an update from the night shift staff as far as changes in patient status go, if any, among other matters, at the start of their shift, nurses will also review assignments and physician notes, and read up on each patient that they have to see that day.

Morning rounds

Mornings are busy for nurses. This is because they will check in with each patient and record their status. Nurses check blood work in the morning, monitor the blood sugar of diabetic patients, and check in to see if anything requires their immediate attention.

Assisting patients in ADL

During morning rounds is also the time when nurses will assist patients in ADL or “activities of daily living” as articulated at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. During this time of day, it is common for nurses to assist patients with eating (if they cannot do it themselves) or basic mobility.

Med pass

In addition to assisting patients in ADL, during morning rounds is also when nurses take part in what is known as a “med pass”. During this time is when nurses will administer medications to patients, and is an important part of the day-to-day activities of a nurse.

Lunch is not guaranteed

When lunchtime comes, if they can, nurses will try to take some time for lunch in the middle of the day as captured at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. However, this doesn’t always happen, and sometimes a lunch will be whatever you can grab in between tasks. Nothing is a guarantee for a nurse, especially at mealtimes.

Afternoon rounds and new patients

By the afternoon, many patients who arrived in the morning could conceivably be released, and several more will have been admitted in the interim. Nurses can often find themselves managing new patients during the afternoon, something worth noting.

Other aspects of the afternoon rounds

In addition to attending to and managing new patients, afternoon rounds also include other activities such as administering any medications that need to be given during that time as well as catching up on charting, which nurses have to be on top off.

Afternoon rounds and people skills

While nurses have to leverage their people skills all the time, it is during the afternoon rounds that they will likely have to make use of these skills. As covered at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, new patients often have to be educated about their diagnoses and treatment plans; nurses will have to answer patient questions and also ensure both patients and their families members have adequately internalized what they need to know.

Discharging patients

Discharging patients, as already mentioned, is also a major part of the afternoon schedule of nurses. It is more complex than you may think as the nurse has to get all the paperwork together and ensure all the instructions are given to the patient before they are discharged.

Having a plan is key

When a nurse checks in during the morning, they are allocated specific patients on the ward and tasks to carry out and monitor as described at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. Most nurses choose to make a written shift plan, divided into hourly slots, with a column for each patient, as they find this written plan vital throughout the day.

Prioritizing the patients who need the most attention

Nurses will also look to make a note of the patients who need the most attention and allocate them more frequent observations throughout their day so that they can monitor their condition. This ensures that those patients that need the most care get it.

Checking equipment

Nurses also don’t just deal with people as it is important to check that equipment is in good working order. This is why one of the activities a nurse carries out during their day-to-day is to check that all the emergency equipment is in good working order.

Getting kids involved in activities

To keep their spirits up, nurses will also encourage those children who are well enough to get out of bed and get dressed so they can take part in activities discussed at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com such as drawing, painting, or breakfast club. Nurses will also encourage such kids to attend school in the afternoon if possible as they can have a very long hospital stay, and it is vital they keep up with their schoolwork as much as possible.

Personal hygiene

Nurses also ensure that the children under their care are maintaining personal hygiene and caring for their skin and teeth. Nurses will encourage all children, particularly the older ones, to look after their personal hygiene themselves, even though they often need reminding.

Nutrition

Nutrition is also important, which is why nurses have to ensure that patients don’t lose weight or become malnourished because treatments like chemotherapy and radiography can reduce a patient’s appetite and desire to eat as revealed at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com.

Preparing for the night shift

Before going home, a day shift nurse will have to make sure that everything has been properly documented and made ready for counterparts working the night shift. This includes checking and double-checking patient charts and information that the night shift staff will need.

Handover

The handover from day to night shift involves a written handover and updating of the new nurse-in-charge as already mentioned. This includes completing all the patients’ paperwork, care plans, and records of fluid balances. Nurses will also ensure that all medications and fluids are up-to-date and ready for the next shit. Finally, the nurse will verbally hand over all his/her patients to their night nurse, before leaving the ward for the night.

These are some of the things to expect when it comes to a day in the life of a nurse, with more on this topic, and much more, to be found over at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com.